Nigerians Call For Establishment Of Old People’s Homes

Some Nigerians have called on the government to provide the enabling environment for the establishment of old people’s homes in the country.

The call was made on Monday in Abuja at an event to mark the United Nations International Day of Older Persons organized by the Global Knights Foundation.

Panelists who spoke at the event said the family care usually given to older persons in Nigeria and other African countries is no longer sustainable due to global socio-economic trends.

An old people’s home is an institution providing accommodation and care for elderly people.

Hon Nimi Walson-Jack, a public policy contributor and civil societies activist, said the cost of taking care of elderly persons, especially parents, by families is more when compared to putting them in an old people’s home.

He said aside from the cost of moving people around, the emotional and psychological trauma of taking care of elderly persons make putting them in the care of specialist homes better.

“When we retire and relocate home, we’re changing from city life that we know to village life that we don’t know.

“So, we age faster and we die faster,” he said, adding that old age is a business opportunity for the youths who should invest in care-given for the elderly.

Opara Lambert, a retired Director of National Human Rights Commission, said there’s a need to take care of the about 9.4 million elderly persons in Nigeria through appropriate government policies and institutions, adding however that establishing old people’s homes is the only sustainable way to care for senior citizens.

“We must have homes for the aged as they have abroad to take care of our elderly persons,” he said, adding he knew the trauma of staying with elderly persons.

Simon Obi, a public safety expert, UN Global Road Safety leader and youth activist, spoke on the need for the government to provide infrastructure that supports the mobility and security of elderly persons.

He said providing functional public transport system would improve their mobility while guarantee of security and safety would reduce the stress of elderly persons.

But a lifestyle specialist, VeekeeNat Ojochide, revealed that living well while growing up helps to prevent illnesses in old age.

She advised that the best way to manage old age is to start at a young age, and listed four reasons why the body falls sick.

“The four reasons are dehydration, nutrients deficiency, toxic overload and emotional trauma,” she said, adding that eating well and avoiding negative lifestyle could go a long way to prevent ill health in old age.

The Executive Director of Global Knights Foundation, Ngozi John-Uyah, said she was motivated to organize the event because of her experience with her late father who was diagnosed of a terminal ailment but lived longer than was expected because he was surrounded by his children from whom he received love and care.